Burial-couch.



I. N. SMITH.

BURIAL COUCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I2. IQII.

1,255,94 l. Patented Feb. 12, v1918.

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BURIAL COUCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I2. 191? y 1,255,9M, Patented Feb,12,1918.

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ISAAC` NEWTON SMITH, 0F GREENVILLE, (EH10.

BURIALfCOUCI-I.

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Application led April 12, 1917.

To all 'whom z' may concern:

Be it known that 1,1sAAo NEWTON SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Greenville, in the county of Darke, State of Ohio, have invented al new and useful Burial-Couch; and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en- Y able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make. and use the same.

The invention is a burial couch.

It seeks to provide, as one of its objects, a neat and inexpensive couch of this character to be used in conjunction with stone burial vaults, taking the place of the heretofore heavy and expensive Gaskets.

A further object is to provide a couch of this kind adapted to have a silk or 'leather covering and to make the whole ofsuch a design and construction that it may be folded up compactly.

Y Other objects will appear in the detailed description which follows.

vShould the drawings and Vspeciiication forth some detailedfstructuremwliich .isnoty fullyfdefned by, the)othe1i,",thel;right to such structure is claimed as though it hadV been fully treated by both.V v1

The drawings illustrate ay particular design to which, however, the invention is not to be restricted. The right is reserved to make any changes or alterations suggested by the demands of practice, provided such changes or alterations are compatible with the spirit of the appended claim.

The same numerals of reference designate the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view, showing the support-ing legs in their folded position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the invention in its folded up position.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the joints between the hood braces, showing the manner in which these braces are connected to the frame.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 represents the bottom which comprises two frames joined together by the hinges 2, each frame being made up of the end pieces 4 and side pieces 3. Each frame is provided with a wire mesh 5 suitably affixed to its side and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1913.,

serial No. lenses.

end pieces and is further provided with a covering 6 secured to the side and end pieces and covering both them and the mesh 5. Near the ends remote from thehinges 2, the legs 7 are pivotally connected with the frames, as at 8, the pivotal connection of each leg being on the inner edge of the side piece 3. The transverse piece 9 joins together the two legs 7 of each frame, eecting a rigid connection between them. The

thus serve to supportthe-bottoni` 1 above tom carrying one of the hoods. Eachhood comprises the U-shaped ysupp'orting'ibraces 15;l 1G and 17 lto-"f whichA suit'ablfe covering, preferably silk or leather is attached by convenient rivets 18. The covering for hood 113 `and designated as 14 terminates at the brace 16, but the covering for hood 12 (designated as 13) extends beyond its brace 16 being made long enough to project just over the end of hood 11 whe-re buttons 19 or other suitable attachments eifect this connection with hood 11. Beside their connection with the U-shaped braces coverings 111 and 13 are attached to the ends l and sides 3 by any suitable means 20, the covering 13, however, not being connected to the side pieces 3 beyond the point where it is attached to its U-shaped brace 16.

The manner in which the U-shaped braces I 17 serves to attach all three braces to the side iece 3. The description of the connection etween the U-shaped braces at their attachment to the bottom 1 has been referred to in the singular, but it is, of course, understood that there are two of these connections for each hood, one on each side of each of the two frames comprising bottom 1. When the hoods are collapsed, the braces 16 and 15 are turned back against the braces 17 on the pivotal connections 22 and all are then turned back on the frames comprising the bottom by means of the pivotal connections 21.

U-shaped handles 25 are provided for carrying the couch when it contains a corpse. These handles are affixed to the; bottom 1, one handle being attached to each of the side pieces 3. The legs of the handles pass through holes formed on the outer edge of the pieces 3. Suitable `Washers 26 which are countersunk in said pieces 3 are affixed to the legs of the handles and effect their attachment to the pieces 3 but permitting them to be slid in and out, so that the handles may be slid out to provide a hand grip when the couch is being carried or slid in out of the Way when the latter is collapsed.

From the drawings it is apparent how the couch may be collapsed. The hoods 11 and 12 are first collapsed by folding down upon the bottom l. The two sets of legs 7 are then folded up against the wire mesh 5, when the two frames comprising the bottom are then folded together on the hinges 2. In this collapsed condition the couch is easy to transport and takes up a small amount of space.

The couch is designed for use in conjunction with a stone burial vault, it being placed in such a vault with the corpse which it holds after the legs 7 have been folded up beneath the bottom. The handles 25 are adapted for use in carrying the couch when it holds the corpse but may be slid in out of the way when not in use and when the couch is collapsed. The hoods 11 and 12 with their attendant covering form an acceptable means for covering the corpse when Y leg may abut the Vblock to reinforce theleg when in supporting position, and whereby the leg may collapse within the frame when the frame is collapsed, an archedcovering for the outer end of one` frame, pivoted arched braces therefor, an arched covering for the other frame extending over the first frame and overlappingandbeing detachably connected to the first arched covering, and pivoted arched braces forV theV second arched covering.

In testimony whereof I `have signed my name to this specification in the presence of` two subscribing witnesses. Y

ISAAC NEWTON SMITH.

Witnesses: I Y

GEO. A. KATZENBERGER, J. C. ELLIOTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing theV "Commissioner o! Patents,

Washington, D. C. Y 

